Back in January I reported on a rumored new NEO•GEO handheld console under the heading 'This is such bullshit, but I wish it was real...' The photos of it (like the one above) looked like a photoshopped iPhone, and the whole thing just felt like a nostalgia play courtesy of an internet trickster...but it seems the rumors were true! SNK Playmore has partnered up with BLAZE (makers of a wide variety of inexpensive retro gaming gadgets) to release the NEO•GEO X console later this year. The unit will reportedly ship preloaded with 20 classic NEO•GEO titles and will also feature SD card expansion, a 3.5” LCD screen, A/V output, internal stereo speakers and a headphone socket.
Magician Lord. Nothing spices up a platformer like a bloody pentagram.Now while I was initially intrigued by the prospect of this device, the confirmation of its existence actually got me pondering its potential place in the market. From the looks and sound of it, this device appears to be more like a portable emulator than anything else. Perusing the websites of both the NEO•GEO X and its manufacturer BLAZE, I saw no mention of any new software being developed for the platform, and, perhaps more interestingly, I also saw no mention of any sort of internet connectivity or online store for accessing new content. That's not to say that either of these things wont happen, but I think they're telling us something here. This thing isn't trying to go head to head with Nintendo and Sony in the handheld arena. My guess is that this thing will sell for fairly cheap (under $150), that we probably won't see too many more actual NEO•GEO titles (legally) made available for it, and that it will find a place as an inexpensive and highly portable platform for crackers to load up with their favorite emulators, MP3s, and videos.
So I remain intrigued. If SNK and BLAZE play this right they might just have the quintessential retro gaming handheld on their....hands. Updates to come!
Samurai Showdown... skeet, skeet, skeet
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